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Outcry as nuclear ships approach Cape The Democratic Alliance has joined the outcry against two ships sailing around the Cape coast - one of them with a cargo of plutonium fuel, the other an escort. DA environmental affairs spokesperson Errol Moorcroft said on Sunday his party was opposed to allowing the ships within 300km of shore. The Pacific Pintail, carrying the fuel, and the Pacific Teal, en route from France to Japan, were spotted 315 nautical miles (580km) west of Cape Town, the environmental organisation Greenpeace said on Saturday. "The Pintail found itself embroiled in controversy in 1999 when the plutonium fuel she carried had to be returned after the producers allegedly misled the buyers in Japan. "What guarantees are there that this shipment won't end up in another storm of controversy?" Moorcroft asked. He said the South African coastline was one of the most treacherous maritime areas in the world and a spill of nuclear pollutants would do untold environmental damage and endanger thousands of lives. "This sort of risk cannot in any way be allowed," Moorcroft said. Greenpeace spokesperson Mike Townsley told international news agency AFP that the organisation was monitoring the 30 000km journey of the ship, which had "enough plutonium to make more than 20 nuclear weapons". "The South African government has requested the ship stay out of its waters but we call on them to take stronger measures," he said. The Pacific Pintail is expected to arrive in Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in western Japan in about a month. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnIlda Jacobs Washington D.C. - Hierdie week, is dit ‘n Bonus Kytie. Dis ‘n laaang een, soos ‘n movie. Ek het hierdie week geskryf oor die Groot Baas, natuurlik ook ‘n Suid-Afrikaner. Volgende week gaan ek skryf oor sy vyfjarige seun, die Klein Terroris, ‘n Amerikaner. As ek saam met my Baas rondstap, voel ek so bietjie soos Asterix en Obelix. ‘n Lang Boeremeisie en ‘n kort Suid-Afrikaner, wat so bietjie soos ‘n kruising tussen ‘n Boere-oom en ‘n Mafia Baas lyk. As jy instap by ons gebou, ruik jy medisyne. Op die onderste vloer is ‘n dialysis kliniek. Ons is op die derde vloer in ‘n klein kantoorjie vol bokse en hordes papiere, oral op tafels en op die vloer. Daar is vyf filing cabinets volgeprop met 10 jaar se Suid-Afrikaanse propaganda. Ons stoor nog propaganda iewers in betaalde high security storage in Rockville, net vir in case ons eendag moet mobiliseer. Rumour has it, en ek is te bang om te vra, dat daar OU Suid-afrikaanse vlae gestoor word. In ons kantoor, het ons een eight track tapeplayer van die sixties, maar ons het geen eight track tapes nie, die goed is net beskikbaar in antique shops. Ons het een proffesionele printertable wat my baas langs die dumpster opgetel het. Een of ander ryk Amerikaner in hierdie disposable society doen ons Suid-Afrikaners ‘n guns. Ek is nie altyd seker watse soort besigheid ons is nie. Soms dink ek die Baas is soos ‘n soort business oriented Santa Claus. Hy stuur gereeld freebies na sy vriende en kliente, en dit sluit goed in soos newsletters, biltong en boeke van Suid-Afrikaanse authors. Maar ons is nie ‘n winkel nie, ons is ‘n webwinkel, onder andere. Die Mafia baas se rekenaartjie daarbo is nooit stil nie. Die Baas dink gedurig aan nuwe planne, soos die nuwe Madiba yskas magnete wat hy op ons web-shopping site adverteer. Soms dink ek die Baas run ‘n undercover-operation want daar daag gedurig misterieuse bokse op vol goodies. Soos groot bokse vol biltong. Elke keer eet ons die biltong op tydens kantoorure, dan lag die Baas en se: We’re one pound short We’ve eaten the profits”. Dan bel hy weer die een of ander 800-get biltong nommer en dan daag die volgende pak weer ‘n paar dae later op. Watter Suid-Afrikaners in die VSA is so gelukkig om elke week biltong te kry, en boonop eet ons elke ander week pies en aeros van die Cape Dutch Bakery wat spesiaal hier afgelewer word. Hierdie week het daar een reusagtige boks opgedaag, ‘n persent van ‘n kliente vir dienste/gunste gelewer. ‘n Hele krat vol 48 bokse ouma-beskuit. Nie enige ouma-beskuit nie, dit is rusks met ‘n designer label, spesiaal vervaardig vir die VSA, genaamd Kalahari rusks. Ons is nie ‘n koswinkel nie, inteendeel. Ons is ‘n bemarking en- media-besigheid. Soms doen ons junkmailing vir die Vreemdste Kliente. Of ons stuur Suid-Afrikaanse propaganda regoor die States. Soms verdwyn my baas vir dae. Glo “cross cultural training sessions” vir Consulting Firms. Hy vlieg so ver as Colorado, om glo vir mense wat van Suid-afrika af immigreer, business environment seminare aan te bied. Vir sulke trips neem hy sy Springbok kleur briefcase saam. Ek mag nie daardie briefcase oopmaak nie. Ek skryf artikels. Op opdrag van die Baas, interview ek mense soos die Ku Klux Klan, Kubaanse dissente en die Sosialistiese People’s Trevor van Suid-Afrika. Die Baas doen goed en koop goed en verkoop goed en eet goed. As ek freeby CD’s kry om te review, dan vat die Baas die CD’s en verkoop dit op die webwinkel en gee die proceeds aan Boystown. Hy verstaan die mindset van wannabe-Mafia kinders. Ek dink hy probeer die voortbestaan van die institution verseker vir sy seun, wat reeds die art of terrorism bemeester het op die ouderdom van vyf. Aartjie na sy vaartjie, se hulle mos. Ons druk ook besigheidskaarte vir sommige kliente. Ons het byvoorbeeld ‘n surplus van Cape Dutch Bakery besigheidskaarte. So as ons rusks dunk in koffie, roer my Baas sy koffie met die besigheidskaarte. Ek vermoed die ge-eet is die rede agter die baas se probleempies… Gister het hy amper die emmer geskop. Die foon lui en die baas antwoord in sy formele besigheidstem, maar in sy kieste is ‘n Suid-afrikaanse rusk, en die glip toe in sy keelgat af. “That would be sad” se die Baas na ‘n hewige gehoes. “If the inscription on my tombstone has to be, Dead by rusk. But it’s better than dead by hijacking.” Ons het ook verskeie kliente, almal weirdos. EK weet wragtig nie waar die baas aan hulle almal kom nie. Dit is asof ons ‘n databasis bymekaar gemaak het van ‘n klomp weirdos. Dis nou buiten ons databasis van Suid-Afrikaners in die VSA. Nou skryf ek hulle almal se stories. Daar is byvoorbeeld die pryswenner weirdo, ‘n tipe wit Brit zulu warrior wat as ‘n haarkapper werk. Op ‘n stadium in sy lewe het hy besluit om Moslem te word en sy naam te verander na Something Shah. Dit was voordat hy sy tribal naam gekry het. Die Baas het my opdrag gegee om eendag sy boek te skryf, die ou sukkel nou al 20 jaar om die ding van die grond af te kry. Dan is daar die printer nommer een. Hy mag nie sout of vetterige kos eet nie, maar as hy dit wel doen, dan pop hy hartpille dwarsdeur die maal. Printer nommer twee, ‘n immigrant van South India, bel gisteraand my baas after hours. Dis ‘n emergency, se hy. Nevermind the earth quake. Sy tee het opgeraak. Baas, se hy, ek het nie ‘n kredietkaart nie, voer asseblief vir my ‘n oornag bestelling van 1000 teesakkies, catering quantity in? Een van my gunsteling kliente is die ou wat die Dating Agency bestuur. Hy stuur poskaarte uit en maak afsprake vir potte sonder deksels. Ons bestuur natuurlik sy databais singles. Hy is natuurlik amper 50 en ongetroud. Hy gebruik sy ma se checkboek, kar en kredietkaart, ek hoef niks verder te skryf oor mommy’s boy nie. Ek vermoed as hy die dag die knoop deurhaak met ‘n klient, dan vou die besigheid. Dan is die tannie Draak. Sy daag altyd op die onmoontlikste tye in die onmoontlikste outfits hier op om ons aan deadlines wat lankal reeds verby is, te herinner. As sy hier opdaag, maak ons gereed vir vere, kleure, musse, en helder jasse. Sy ken elke herbalist en alternatief tot mainstream medisyne. Verder is die Baas die simpatieke oor vir talle SA aupairs en illegals wat in die States wil aanbly, ons weet van hordes van hulle want hulle bel ons gereeld met vrae. Die een illegal is actually ‘n caterer, en hy kla die anderdag oor ‘n sekere Suid-Afrikaanse belasting-betaler geborgde instansie wat bitterlik min weet oor die Suid-afrikaners in die States. My simpatieke baas, haal diep asem tewyl hy die probleem verteer, en met die uitblaas gee hy die oplossing… “We can train my son’s guinea pig to sneak around at night and plak fridge magnets on every single filing cabinet in the (INSERT ORGANISATIONS’ NAME HERE) and maybe reward the pig with a koeksister.” Wat het ek gese van simpatieke oor? Na afloop van my baas se praktiese raad, kon die man darem weer glimlag. Ons doen ook besigheid met diplomate, en gewoonlik gaan ons na hul funksies en eet hulle heerlike shrimps en Suid-Afrikaanse prawns en Kaapse kerrievis. Seker agente van diplomate vermoed juis my Baas sit agter die een of ander conspiracy, ‘n covert operation - hulle weet net nie mooi waarvan om hom te verdink nie. Maar hy fit die profile. Hy kan nie toy-toy nie. Hy ken ook net die eerste reel van Nkosi Sikeleli. My Baas misbruik sy Suid-Afrikanerskap soms. Hy het steeds ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse Engelse aksent. As hy in winkels instap en goeters koop, en hulle vra vir sy adres en telefoonnommer, gee hy die hele scpiel in sy mooiste aksent: 012721 of sy OU adres in die Kaap van 15 jaar terug. My Baas se hy wil nie op mailing lists beland nie, want dan kry ons hope junkmail. Ons weet mos hoe die junkmail besigheid werk, d.m.v. “reverse address appending”. Jy gee jou telefoonnommer en die besighede bepaal jou adres. Een maal het my baas die fout gemaak toe hy ‘n battery koop by die Radio Shack. Hy gee toe sy nommer, maar waarsku die oorblufte eienaar: “Look, I’ll give you this number. But if I receive a catalogue I’m going to bring it back as confetti. That’s a promise.” Ook nie hoeka nie toe daag die katalogus op by die Baas se huis. Hy stuur dit deur die papershredder, gooi dit in ‘n sakkie en daag by die Radio Shack op. “I warned you” se my baas, en loop deur die winkel en strooi confetti oraloor die vloer. “Phone the police” gil die winkelassistent, en sy voeg die daad by die woord en bel 911. Sy dag my Baas in ‘n terroris. Dit was die LAASTE Radio Shack Catalogue. Jy mors nie met die Baas nie. Ons kry baie “unsolicited phone calls.” Telemarketing, noem hulle dit. “What kind of software do you use?” “We don’t have a computer. We don’t use computers” lieg my Baas, dood ernstig. Dit was die laaste software oproep. Wel, meeste van die tyd het ons nie computers nie, al is ek veronderstel om artikels skryf, en al is ons ‘n media besigheid en ‘n marketing besigheid met grote databasisse op computer. Ons computers is mos amper altyd in for reparations. Ek vermoed my baas is kop in een mus met die computer meesterbrein, meneer Boondog, die buitelander. Waarom, na al ons computer probleme, doen die Grootbaas steeds besigheid met die mannetjie uit Thailand? ‘n Mens kan nie eers met hom kommunikeer nie. Dis hoekom hy met computers werk, vermoed ek. Hy is mos juis die oorsaak dat die Baas sy rug uitgehaak het.… Die Baas se net: “Ons moet saamstaan. Ons is almal immigrante. Boere en Thailand almal saam in die mixing pot. Sien my invoer van teesakkies en my business met Boondog as my contribution tot the nation of immigrants.” Asof ‘n rug probleem nie genoeg was nie, skeur die Baas toe amper die boonste spier van sy knie af, en nou moet hy met ‘n reguit been en ‘n groot stut loop. Vra iemand vir hom wat hoe hy homself beseer het, glimlag hy skaapagtig. “I wish I could say I was playing That South African Game, but I just don’t look the part.” Nou sit my Baas heeldag by ‘n lessenaar VOL papiere en koeverte wat hy stuff met South African propaganda. Omdat hy nie kan loop nie, is ek bevorder tot Personal Assistant. Ek antwoord die foon, sit tjeks vir al ons vreemde kliente in die printer en elke kort-kort kry ek ‘n opdrag. “Coffee. Pass me a rusk and a Cape Dutch Bakery business card.” Vanoggend is hy hier weg onder voorwendsels van ‘n besigheidsmeeting iewers…wat hy eintlik gedoen het, is om ‘n bright orange handicapped plakker te gaan optel vir homself sodat hy in handicapped parkeerplekke oraloor DC kan parkeer… Ek kan nou al voorspel die handicapped sticker gaan vir die volgende jaar ‘n feature wees op ‘n sekere trooper met die trotse nommerplaat “Bakgat.” Met die handicapped sticker gaan ons nog baie pret he, vermoed ek. Die Baas, toe hy hieruit hinkepink, se “You must talk the talk, walk the walk.” Kytie: You’re gonna lose business after this article. Baas: It’s not about business, its about having fun…. Wat het ek mos gese, ‘n vriendelike Mafia grootbaas. Ons is nie ‘n Gewone Besigheid nie, want Boss doesn’t do The Business Talk, and he doesn’t do the Walk either, he limps… Kytie K. Kytie Koekblik would like you to respond to her tongue-in-cheek running commentary on suburban life in America in this editorial. Fresh off the boat, she is ready to explore and experiment with American bath plugs and to drive on the other side of the road. You can contact her here. © RSA-Overseas & Matheson Communications [ Top ] SA Farmers furious over 'adapt or die' remark Farmers are upset over a reported remark on national television by Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana that they should "adapt or die", the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU) said on Tuesday. "Victims of farm attacks see this as blatant hate speech which could spark more rural killings," Gert Ehlers, the union's president, said in Pretoria. Mdladlana apparently made the remark on Monday while visiting farms in the Northern Cape to inspect labour conditions. In an interview with a television news reporter, the minister said some farmers were still mistreating their workers. Describing this as unacceptable, Mdladlana reportedly added: "Farmers must adapt or die." Ehlers said since the television broadcast the TAU had been inundated by calls from angry farmers, who were demanding Mdladlana's immediate dismissal. The TAU trusted that this statement did not reflect the thinking of President Thabo Mbeki and the government. "Organised agriculture strives to pursue healthy labour relationships despite antagonistic legislation and unfavourable conditions. For that effort farmers are now being threatened with death," Ehlers said. The minister should seek to enhance labour relations, productivity, and the creation of jobs, but was failing to do so. Mdladlana's office said the minister was continuing his farms visits, and was not immediately available for comment. Last week, the TAU gave the government two weeks to act decisively against rural killings. Failure to do so would compel farmers to form self-defence units, the union warned. At least 119 people died in more than 800 farm attacks last year. Thanks to Dispatch IOL on-line [ Top ] Shootout as cops end robbery spree Bullet-riddled cars, shattered glass and spent cartridges littered Modderdam Road when police ended an armed gang's early-morning robbery spree in a shootout straight out of the movies. More than 60 shots were exchanged as police battled to stop the gang of four men and a woman, who had allegedly been involved in at least three robberies in Bellville and Parow on Saturday, before they were stopped on the corner of Modderdam and De la Rey roads in Bellville. A semi-automatic pistol falling on to the road, when a gang member in the passenger seat of the gang's car was shot dead, marked the end of the face-off about 5.30am. As the dead man was carried from the scene, the Nike shoes he had stolen in one of the robberies stuck out from the bottom of the sheet that covered his body. The woman and two other suspects were injured in the shootout, but the fourth man escaped and is still being sought by police, according to police spokesperson Neville Malila. Malila said police were alerted to the gang's crime spree when they allegedly robbed an off-duty police officer and others outside a Bellville discotheque and took cash, jewellery and cellphones from late-night revellers. Earlier they had allegedly also robbed Boston Motors in Bellville and a BP service station in Parow. "The policeman alerted us and we finally caught up with the gang on the corner of Modderdam and De la Rey roads. They were ordered to put their hands on the roof of their car. But they immediately started firing at the police, who returned fire," he said. Although only one gun was found at the scene, Malila said reports from the gang's previous robberies indicated all four of the men had been armed. None of the seven police officers and two Sentry Security officers involved in the shootout were hurt. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] Billionaire to help SA stage web revolution An ambitious plan to ensure South Africa rides the information superhighway has been unveiled by President Thabo Mbeki. In a State of the Nation opening of parliament speech designed to reassure international investors and remind South Africans of the country's achievements, Mbeki said it was critical South Africa didn't fall further behind the developed world "as a result of the digital divide". He announced that experts from the world's top information technology and Internet companies, from Cisco, Oracle and Hewlett-Packard to Vivendi, Psion and Siemens, had agreed to join in the country's dotcom initiative. Mark Shuttleworth, South Africa's best-known Internet billionaire, had also agreed to act as a presidential adviser, Mbeki said. "On behalf of the government and all of our people, I would like to thank them for their unequivocal commitment to help our country to get on to, and stay on, the information superhighway." Mbeki said two bodies would be created to spearhead the country's surge into the 21st century: a presidential commission on information society and development; and a presidential international task force. The commission would be made up of local experts from the public and private sector, while the international task force would include such industry heavyweights as Serge Tchuruk of Alcatel, Rajendra Pawar of NITT of India and Henry Chasia of Telehouse Space Limited. In his address, Mbeki spoke of the "critical importance" of the information technology and communications sector to development and economic growth and expressed his gratitude for the commitment of local corporations to step up "significantly" the training of skilled people in the sector. Mbeki said the application of modern communications and IT in the fields of education, health, commerce and government would also be accelerated. To provide a more encouraging climate, a greater degree of certainty would be reached regarding the policy and regulatory regime of the telecommunications sector. The public listing of Telkom, which provided about 412 000 new telephone lines in the 1999/2000 financial year, would continue as planned. Mbeki also said the outstanding matter of the third cellular licence "will be resolved". "The objectives we seek to achieve are moving the economy on to a high-growth path, increasing its competitiveness and efficiency, raising employment levels and reducing poverty and persistent inequalities," Mbeki said. To improve service delivery and government efficiency, Mbeki said the notion of "e-government" was gradually being introduced. Mbeki also assured South Africa that electricity supply and distribution industries would be restructured to introduce greater competition. "Independent power producers will be allowed into our energy system and localised energy grids for rural areas will be developed." The move to boost South Africa's Internet and telecommunications sectors formed part of a general desire on the continent to spark Africa's resurgence and rebirth, he said. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] W.Cape casinos cough up millions in taxes Millions of rands in gambling taxes from the Western Cape's three casinos have started to flow into the provincial coffers as gamblers lose about R130-million a month. By the end of January the province had already earned more than R14-million in taxes from the GrandWest casino in Goodwood, the Mykonos casino near Langebaan and the Caledon casino, all of which opened late last year. And this is just the beginning. The province is expected to earn about R100-million a year from the three casinos, a further R30-million from 3 000 slot machines which will be placed in pubs and other entertainment venues, and about R20-million from horse racing. This means the provincial budget will be boosted by more than R150-million a year by the gambling industry. A spokesperson for the provincial ministry of finance said this money would be used for priority projects and would form part of the provincial budget. Rossouw Lubbe of the Western Cape Racing and Gaming Board said that by the end of March, R28-million rand in taxes would have been paid to the province by the three casinos. About 90 percent of these taxes comes from the GrandWest casino in Goodwood, by far the largest of the three. The further R30-million a year in taxes is expected to be generated by the 3 000 slot machines. These machines will all be linked to a national monitoring facility and will have a guaranteed payout of about 80 percent. The province will earn an expected R1 000 per machine per month, or about R30-million per year. By the end of next month the Gambling Board will call for applications from bidders to operate these machines. "We are very happy with the tax earnings from the gambling industry so far," said Lubbe. He said the decision by the Gambling Board only to allow one casino licence holder in the Cape Metropole had been justified. "Gauteng has four huge casinos within a short distance from each other. These four casinos earn that province an estimated R16-million per month while our three casinos, the two smaller ones at Caledon and at Langebaan, and the GrandWest casino earns the province R8-million per month. Our estimations have been spot on," said Lubbe. He said the province also earns about R20-million annually from the horse racing industry. This means that once the slot machines come on line early next year, the province will earn an estimated R150-million in taxes annually from casinos, slot machines and horse racing. Lubbe said that since the three casinos had opened, many of the smaller illegal casinos which the Board had been trying to close down, had gone out of business. "There are still a couple of illegal casinos doing business, but we know who and where they are and we will close them down," said Lubbe. He said the Gambling Board has already destroyed more than 3 000 illegal slot machines and more than 30 gaming tables. The Board has another 1 900 illegal machines in storage which are also expected to be destroyed. Machines at the three legal casinos are set at a payout level of about 85 percent, with 15 percent going towards the casinos. The province receives 6 percent of taxes on the profits of the casinos. This means that with a monthly tax return of R8-million between the three, these gambling venues rake in an estimated R130-million per month, of which more than 90 percent - about R115-million - is raked in by GrandWest with the rest generated at the smaller casinos. |
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